In November last year, a specialized mine camera was lowered 1.6 miles into the Buffelsfontein mine in South Africa where hundreds of illegal miners were reported to be trapped – dying of starvation and dehydration.
There were no architectural plans of the mineshaft, so the rescuers used the camera to reach 1,280 meters underground, providing the first visuals of the trapped miners. According to The Independent, rescuers then sent the camera down again, this time with a notepad, pen and a letter attached to initiate communication with the miners.
